February 21, 2003

Words I Want to Keep

I marvel at the words my daughter creates--expanding her vocabulary every second of every day, and I'm sure in her dreams she learns new words.

But sometimes she utters words that aren't and I wish I could turn them into words that existed.

Zabreer is one of those. A zabreer is what mommy's wear under their blouses. A zabreer is something she can't quite fathom the use for.

"Mommy, I can't wear that undershirt with the straps--everyone will think I have a zabreer on!"

I don't correct her. Those are her words and they mean so much to me that there are several I won't correct. Maybe she'll pay the price later, when she utters it in gym class, or maybe I'll tell her before then. But for now zabreer is just fine.

And so is elligator, which, if you're wondering, is what carries you from one floor to the next.

Smile. It's 4:56.